34 Chapter 33

As Rowan's crew approached to Logue town, Rowan realized from far away that the security seemed to have tightened by a greater extent.

'As expected, it looks like they managed to figure out that we're heading this way due to the incident in Sixis.' Rowan briefly thought before placing his hand up, signalling for a momentary halt of Prominence.

"It seems that we may need to tweak our plans slightly." Rowan turned around to his members and explained. "Judging by how ferociously the marines are guarding the harbour, it is safe to assume that they know I'm on their way. Bringing Prominence nearby may as well be impossible. We can't bypass this town however, due to the necessary preparations we need."

"What then?" Dan asked in curiosity. In response, Rowan shifted his gaze to Ace, who was lying down on the boat next to them.

"Huh?" Ace tilted his head in confusion. Carina snickered as she saw Rowan starting another scheme.

Rowan grinned as he rubbed his hands together. "Hey Ace, do you know who's stationed in that Logue town? The Captain Smoker. Although I've never faced him before, he is quite infamous as the 'White Hunter' who never let a single pirate out of his town before. Do you know what that means?"

Ace sat up as his demeanour turned serious. "Then I will be the first one that escaped from his grasp."

Dan sighed in exasperation. "You can't be serious, right? That Smoker is known for his ability to control smoke. Now that I've seen the devil fruit abilities unfold in front of me, I can say with certainty that he must be one too."

"Therefore, let's make a deal. You help us, and we will let you ride on our ship until the next island in the Grand Line. How does that sound?"

Hearing Rowan's suggestion, Ace placed a hand on his chin, deep in a thought.

'White Hunter... devil fruit like Luffy's... smoke? I can't punch him? That does sound quite troubling.' Ace realized that the pirate crew in front of him was probably his best chance of entering the Grand Line; he didn't wish to be stuck in the East Blue any longer. "Alright, you got a deal. What do we do then?"

"Great, so here's how it goes..." Rowan began to lay out the plan as the group gathered around to listen.

_____________

"Captain Smoker, the lookouts sighted one boat approaching our way, and we have identified Ace the 'Rascal,' wanted for 5 million Beli!!" The voice within Den Den Mushi spoke as Smoker heard it intently. Immediately hanging up the call, Smoker instantly blasted his way to the harbour, using his smoke ability.

"Yo, marines." When Smoker arrived, Ace was seen standing on his little boat with hand waving at the marines. "This place looking quite nice, eh?"

'First, we need just few minutes. Try to distract their attentions for few minutes, while I place Carina and Dan in the town by flying. Carmen, you should write down the necessary equipments for the other two to purchase them for you; your job have to keep the ship safe in the middle of the ocean.' Rowan's words resounded in Ace's mind as he faked a grin towards the marines.

"Rascal, to think you would dare to show up alone, at this time. How unfortunate." Smoker said as he let out a menacing grin of his own. "Today is the end of your piracy!! White Blow!!"

Smoker's fist stretched out as his arm turned into a smoke and shot out towards Ace.

'Come on Rowan, I am already near my limit!' Ace shouted in his mind as he narrowly dodged Smoker's punch, which simply changed its direction and started to chase Ace again. Ace stooped low to dodge Smoker's jitte from slamming into him, before back-stepping to evade the smoke that was about to surround him.

*Click* Many guns being loaded were heard simultaneously. The marines surrounding Ace and Smoker were about to shoot, since the bullets deal no harm to Smoker at all.

"Shoot!!" Smoker shouted. Obeying his words, the marines all shot their guns towards Ace.

*Boom* *Boom* *Boom* Just when the bullets were about to hit Ace, a black-haired individual appeared in front of Ace out of nowhere, before all the bullets were deflected back to the surroundings, causing injuries to many marines around! "You've done well, Ace."

"Haa, that was close, you know?" Ace complained, but his eyes held an excited gleam.

"So you've finally shown up... Demon!" Smoker's eyes widened as he finally came face to face with Rowan, whom he has been striving to arrest for months.

"That jitte, Seastone huh." Rowan's eyes narrowed as he sighted the Seastone at the tip of Smoker's jitte. "Ace, move on."

'Second, I will hold off Smoker and keep as many eyes away from you three as much as possible. There will be marines chasing after Ace, so you will roam around the street and keep them occupied. When Carina and Dan are done, help Ace to get rid of those marines together.' Ace remembered Rowan's words as he nodded and began to run away from the site.'

"You guys, chase the Rascal, don't let him escape! Leave the Demon to me!!" Smoker quickly commanded to the marines, who saluted and began to chase Ace to the town. Now, only Smoker and Rowan remained in the harbour.

"Heh, is this what you wanted, Demon? Do you really believe that you, who lost against that idiot Mad Treasure, can defeat me by yourself?" Smoker bickered, in order to make Rowan lose calm and act irrationally. Naturally, Rowan wasn't someone that could be provoked that easily.

"Sorry, what did you say? I think a duck was quacking nearby." Rowan said with a frown as he scratched his ear.

'From what I've identified from Carmen's ability, the so-called Logia-type allows its uses to turn their body into the element itself. The ability to control smoke... there's two possibilities. Either Smoke Smoke fruit, the Logia-type, or Fume Fume fruit, the Paramecia-type that allows the user to emit smoke from his or her body.' Rowan's eyes narrowed as he readied his attack.

"Well, if you're not going to move first, I will." Rowan cocked his fist back, before punching forward in the air.

*BOOM* With a huge noise, the air in front of Smoker was blasted by Rowan's punch, before crashing towards his body. However, Smoker was already prepared, as he quickly turned his body into a smoke and propelled upwards to dodge Rowan's attack.

'Logia-type!' Rowan grimaced as his eyes stayed onto Smoker in caution.

"White Out!!" A large amount of smokes were emitted from Smoker's body, before approaching towards Rowan at a rapid pace. Sensing danger, Rowan immediately bounced off the ground with huge amount of force, causing it to crack in shock.

At a rapid pace, Rowan soon arrived at an air higher than Smoker.

"Placing yourself up high in the air, when facing against smoke? Aren't you a bit too air-headed, Demon?!!" Smoker barked as the huge amount of smokes swirled towards Rowan in the air, who simply grinned.

"*Huuuuuuuuu*" Rowan took a deep breath as the air around him suddenly sucked into him, creating a vortex-like scene. After filling his lungs with air to the extreme, Rowan immediately expelled the air as hard as possible.

*BOOOOOOOM* What happened next was terrifying to everyone in the city. The terrifying wind and the overwhelming amount of smoke collided, trying to force their ways through! It felt as if the whole city shook, as the wild wind and smoke flew everywhere, causing the whole city to become chaotic. Eventually, the chaos subsided as the struggle ended in a draw, with both sides out of their respective firepower.

"Tch, I thought you are the user of Bounce Bounce fruit? Where did this wind come from?" Smoker gritted his teeth in anger, seeing his max output didn't manage to affect Rowan.

"Imagination, Smoker. No one understands my ability better than I do." Rowan grinned as he pulled his hand back while still up in the air. "Watch out, because it's going to be different this time."

Rowan began to fall down from the sky towards Smoker. Smoker summoned large amount of smokes around him again, attempting to envelope Rowan into a grip as he fell. "White World!!"

"Bounce Crash, 10-Hit." Rowan stated as his palm outstretched with his descent. In a next moment, Smoker's smokes were completely flattened and Smoker, although he was in a smoke form, was pinned on the ground, with the highly concentrated pressure wave squeezing his smokes!

*BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* Ten consecutive noises were heard in succession as the cracks formed under Smoker's smoke-clad body, and enlarged as each strike landed.

"Guh," Smoker was shocked; he was damaged in his smoke form! His ability allowed him to turn into smoke, which is gas in terms of state of matter, but Rowan, who was able to fly in the sky through the use of 'bounce,' was able to land strikes onto the gas itself!

*Cough* *Cough* Coughing out blood, Smoker managed to stand up and wiped blood off his chin.

"I gotta say, Smoker. I expected more from you." Rowan said with a grin as he safely landed on the ground using series of 'bounce' force under his feet. "But so far, I haven't seen anything apart from you just expelling the smokes from your body. A disappointment, really."

"You....!" Smoker seethed in anger as he heard Rowan's ridicule. His eyes reddened in fury and his fists clenched hard.

While saying such words, Rowan's gaze was actually behind Smoker, where Carina, Carmen and Ace were giving him thumbs up while hiding behind the wall.

'Our last step. Alright.' Rowan thought as he lifted his right hand up, which was clenched into a fist.

*BOOM* *BO-BOOM* *BOOM* He generated huge noise at a certain rhythm, using his bounce force. Right after,

*BOOM* A bright fire was shot up in the sky at a distant, before exploding in the midair.

Witnessing such a scene, Smoker's eyes widened. "Marines, prevent them from escaping-" He turned around to give out an order, but met no one to respond him; everyone were unconscious on the ground.

"All according to the plan." Rowan muttered as he slowly approached to Smoker, who tensed up and got into the stance, taking out his jitte. "Smoker, you just made a crucial mistake... you just entered my range." Rowan stated as delivered his final words to Smoker.

"Bounce... Rush!!!" Rowan began to punch at insane speed towards Smoker. The air exploded in front of Smoker at a blinding pace; it was so fast that Rowan's punches broke through the sound barrier and utterly destroyed Smoker, even though he was turned into the smoke!

(ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORAAA!!!)

*BOOOOOOOM* With a final strike, Smoker crashed into the building and laid unconscious, as he bled severely from many spots.

"Alright guys, seems that everything is good to go." Rowan said with a thumbs up as he saw the others coming out of their hiding spot. They sighted Prominence approaching to the harbour.

'Oh, how the tables have turned.' Rowan thought as he reminisced over the time where he used to be held in custody here; it seems that he has achieved his revenge by running a rampage.